My Angel
by The Punch Lord
Summary: a drabble story resolving around Edea and Alternis childhood and life.
1. Chapter 1

**not long after alternis appeared and edea mentioned that he and her had a close childhood, i wanted to write out that possible childhood between her and alternis.  
**

**enjoy!**

* * *

Mrgrgrgr...

He was tired. So very tired.

Braev sighed as he ran a cotton glove over his face, rubbing over his growing wrinkles, trying to soothe the slight ache that throbbed within his skull. Grumbling and growling, the infamous growl he'd rumble out slid past his lips, a growl his little princess eagerly adopted.

Mrgrgrgr...

Recently its been busy, ridiculously busy. More and more he's being summoned and drawn away from his family to serve Eternia. This winter simply gets harsher and harsher, summoning more and more of his attention.

It wasn't so much as a problem for him as it was for his little girl.

His little Edea, she's been taking a toll from all his work. His six year old daughter, bold and a little oblivious to those around her has been lonely as of late, and neither he or Mahzer had the time to spend with her. There was no one that he worked with that was willing to spend time or babysit her, especially after she bit Ominas for trying to scare her with fire; and those that didn't mind being around her didn't have time to spare with her. They were all just as busy as he was.

There were no friends for her to occupy her time with either. He's seen it in action a few times, Edea's blunt and thoughtless comments always chased away any children that he and Mahzer introduced Edea too. All of nobility dreaded any meetings with his princess.

What else was there to do then? He couldn't stand the thought of his little girl spending her days alone; and by the looks of it, they'll just get longer and longer, leaving her alone more and more.

It could be a good experience for, he reasoned; a good chance for her to adapt being on her own.

But she was only six, a little too young to adapt to solitude.

What could a father do? With all his power he couldn't offer or find a companion for Edea. Mrgrgrgr... he was feeling like a failure and Braev Lee was not a failure.

So what could he do...

Braev pauses. Blinking his blue gray eyes as she stared down a curious shape slumped over in an alley, nearly hidden from the pedestrians on the street. Hurrying over to the figure, he raised a blonde eye brow in surprise to see a boy lying on his side, skinnier than a twig, his body bruised and scraped, clothes torn, silver hair dirty and greasy.

A stray as Heinkel fondly called all the urchins, especially children that couldn't get into an orphanage from either lack of room or for being too old. By the looks of it, the kid was probably denied for being too old. Most adopters wanted younger children, even those around Edea's age were pushing the limit. Toddlers to five years old, that's what most people desired when they wanted a child. Any older, and the child has a risk of being troublesome, growing an attitude because of a past they remember much better than any younger children. And this boy was only a few years older than Edea. To most orphanages, he was trouble just taking up space.

Peeling away one glove, exposing his hand to the cold air, he rested it lightly on the boy's neck, feeling the weak pulse beat against the icy skin that burned at his warm fingers.

Still alive, even in this cold and in this shape. This kid was a fighter, a spirit that all Eternian's have. And it be a shame to let such a spirit die when it could grow...

He decided then.

Sliding the glove back on, Braev easily scooped the boy up, cradling him in his arms as he resumed the walk home, mindful of his armor and the discomfort it could be. The boy was oblivious to it though, out like a doused light, snow still patted over his body as he swayed limply in Braev's arms. If it wasn't for the pulse he felt on his neck, Braev really would have thought that he was dead.

There was still a chance for him though, and Braev never turned away from any able body that could go on, soldier or not.

* * *

It was warm and soft when he started to slowly rouse from the most comfortable sleep he's ever had yet. With most sleep, he never wanted to wake, specifically just so he could stay numb to the cold, for when he woke, the numbness slowly ebbed away and he could feel the chill in the air seeping into his body. And it got harder to wake too. It was scary when he realized it when it started to happen, but slowly he started to impatiently wait for it. The chance to never awaken again, never deal with the cold again... it kept getting more and more tempting with each passing day.

And now with warmth all around him, he didn't ever want to awaken ever again.

"How long... sleep?"

A soft, squeaky voice murmured out, rousing him a little. Peeking his eyes open lazily, he caught sight of two pale figures peering down at him, both with golden shining hair. He mistook them for angels as he managed to catch sight of their deep blue eyes.

"...tired...let him sleep," a more melodious voice spoke out, a little louder than the other, but soothing to his ears. A warm, soft hand slid through his hair as the voice shushed him. "Back to sleep."

His eyes fell closed to that demand, lulling him back into a pleasant night sky.

The next time he woke, he was more willing to get up, his body and mind rested. His hair a tangled mess, eyes heavy with sleep, and mind fogged up, he could only sit up groggily as he stared blankly out into a room he didn't recognize. Milky brown walls with dark wood for the furniture, a desk with two chairs stood by a window with rustic curtains pulled aside to let light filter in. A small table guarded each side of the bed he was in, right next to where he rested his head. And the bed itself had red sheets with a black mattress and pillow beneath. A fireplace lay across from him, still burning as it warmed the room he was, not sending him back reeling under the sheets.

Fancy was the only thing his groggy head could come up with as he noticed all the other ornaments in the room, a mirror, a vase with blue roses in it, a painting of a red phoenix flying high against white, puffy clouds; and many other items he was too tired to care about.

His eyes fell closed as his head lolled to the side, half sleeping, half considering why he was in such a room. He didn't remember how he got here. The last thing he remembered was crumbling to the snow, face planted down in the cold and feeling it grow around him, slowly engulfing his body. He had no chance of waking then. No will to try.

By the memory then, he shouldn't be here.

But he was. In a fancy room, with a large warm bed, and with a roasting fire across from him, welcoming and unquestioning.

He started when the door opened, his eyes flickering open as a large man in loose clothes with white blonde hair stepped in, his dark, grey blue eyes locked right onto his smaller form, his own head tilting up to stare at the big man's face. The large man smiled gently, approaching the boy and seating himself in a near chair, keeping a slight distance away so the boy would have space. "You slept pretty deep," he rumbled out, his voice deep in the air, striking his attention immediately. "Two days long. You had us a little worried."

He tightened his grip on the sheets, unconsciously scooting a little away from the man as he narrowed his eyes at the large man.

"What's the matter son? Can't speak? Don't want to?"

The boy didn't breathe a word, simply leaning away, gripping the sheets like they were a shield he was going to bring up, ready to block the large man before he attacked. Braev kept his easy smile despite the boy's tension. He guessed it was to be expected, being an orphan and relying only on himself, the last thing the boy would connect too is an adult when many others chased him away.

"I wanted to come let you know that you're supper will be arriving shortly and to see if you were comfortable. If you need anything just give a shout." Braev offered him, smiling. Still the boy didn't move, just eyeing him as he grips the sheets.

Seeing no way to move forward with this, Braev nodded too as he rose up and left him alone in his room. Just a few days to adjust. That's probably all he needed. Time to soak this all in. Or so Braev hoped. He didn't really know how to work with children that didn't want to be in his company or speak their mind. Edea and many others were always like that, so seeing a kid this muted was... strange.

As the door closed behind him, the boy relaxed his grip on the sheets, eyeing the closed door as he waited to see if the man would come back. After a few minutes of waiting, the ten year old slowly slid out of bed, careful not to make a sound, worried that any noise would bring the man back. Out of bed and in the openness of the room, he scrambled to a window, tugging and pushing at it as he tried to get out. The window wouldn't move and the glass cold against his fingers. Staring out, his heart skipped a beat as he saw the piles of snow laid out over the fancy part of the neighborhood.

The rich neighborhood.

He wasn't allowed in these sort of neighborhoods.

Many people made that very clear.

So why was he here?

He jumped when he heard the door open behind him, turning around so that he was facing who ever was coming in. The door opened in a crack, yet no towering man came out to see him out of bed. For a moment, the door just stayed ajar, with no one peering it. Curious and cautious with the chance to getting out before him, he slid closer to the door, ready to jump out into the hall and rush out of the building.

Only to fall back in surprise when a smaller, blonde head peeked out from the door, staring up at him with big, curious blue eyes. His rear sore, and his heart pounding from the unexpected appearance; all he could do was gawk at the little girl staring back at him. Her blonde hair was fluffed up and puffy, her face round and untouched; and a clean, red shirt and black pants to complete her attire with pockets that were notably full for some reason...

"Finally awake?" the girl asked him, snapping him out of his reverie.

"And leaving," he said, standing and easily towering over the kid, hands on his hips and he tried to glower down at her, hoping that scaring her would help get him past her. She could lead him out if he did this right...

She merely raised a blond eye brow at him, hardly intimidated by his glare. "Dressed like that?" she asked, waving a hand down at the large, loose white shirt that was placed on him, large enough to brush against his ankles. "Not only will you be a laughing stock, you'll turn into a popsicle in just a minute."

He opened his mouth to reply, when she moved faster, shoving something warm, soft, and... and...

She beamed at him. "If you're going to leave, you can't go without eating something at least!" she declared.

_SWEEEET! _He realized in alarm.

He reeled away, his mouth tingling uncomfortably at the sugar filling his senses. "I made it myself," the girl went on, oblivious, to his discomfort as he prided it out of his mouth. "I used a whole bag of sugar just to make sure that it'd be good. Its good right?"

"Its sweet," he moaned as he finally got the cookie out, though the taste of it still resided, leaving the tingle of sugar in his mouth.

She giggled, "Just the way I like it!"

He merely moaned on the floor, his tongue out to openly display his displeasure at the flavor. "What's going on here?" Both heads turned and the boy flinched when he saw that the large man returned, attracted to the noise like he had suspected, peering down at the two curiously. Hardly intimidated by the large man, the girl beamed as she said, "I gave him one of my cookies!"

"Ah," the man said, turning a pitying eyes to the boy, a sheepish smile growing on his face. "Well... its nice to see that you two are getting along."

"Oh wait! Do you want a cookie?" the girl asked just as the large man started to retreat. Giving her a sheepish smile, he offered, "No sorry dear, I'm saving up for dinner, perhaps after?"

"Ok!"

"Play nice," he bid as he quickly closed the door behind him, leaving the boy alone with the girl.

"That's my daddy," the girl cooed as she turned and beamed at the boy. "So who are you?"

"What's it matter to you," the boy grumbled, getting up and walking back to the bed, taking the covers and pulling them overhead as if to hide from the girl. This wasn't his place, this wasn't his world. He shouldn't be here and she shouldn't be talking to him. The girl didn't get it though as she followed after him, hopping onto his bed and making it bouncing, taking out another cookie from her pocket and nibbling on it. "Well," she hummed, "you're using our guest room, _and_ father brought you home. _And _mother and I took care of you. If no thank you, a name be nice."

He peeked at her from under the covers before rebelliously pulling them back down.

The girl frowned darkly at the sheets before she smiled. "Alright, well, since you don't want to talk, I'll just keep talking. My name's Edea Lee, I'm six years old and I'm going to be a Templar just like my dad, and be as pretty as mom, and someday be on the Council of Six, and I'm going to be well known in all of Eternia and be the strongest girl ever and I'm going to be the first to ride a phoenix-"

"Alternis," the boy growled from under the sheets.

Edea beamed before frowning, raising a curious brow at him. "What sort of name is that?"

Grey eyes glared at her from under the sheets.

* * *

**alternis/ringabel is five years older than edea, to help bring out a bit closer age range, i'm having edea's birthday come before his.  
**

**i'm not for sure if braev does say mrgrgrgr, he hasn't said it yet, but i thought it be funny if he did, and the possibility that's where edea got it from.**

**when i think of what edea was like as a little girl, i can imagine that she was a bossy spoiled girl X) **


	2. Chapter 2

**thanks for the wait for this chapter, its turning out to be a busy week this week having three classes to work on, so updates might be on the slow side... anyway, glad to see so many people are so excited to check out a possible childhood XD thanks so much for the reviews everyone! **

**also, i realize now that alternis came from florem as a kid, would anyone desire me to fix that or is everyone fine with him being found in eternia? **

* * *

Mahzer smiled from her seat on the table, watching the two children at the end of the table. Her little girl squirming in her seat in pure delight with a bowl ice cream set in front of her, each bite bringing out a loud, happy hum from the six year old. The older boy beside her, forcibly dragged into the seat, was much more still, quiet, and dignified with his chosen dessert, a much more bitter piece of sourdough bread. Instead of vocalizing his own enjoyment, or taking big bites like Edea was; he mutely nibbled on his bread, staring out at the snowed over city, his eyes flickering over each white flake that drifted down in front of the long windows rowed across their dining area.

So reserved and thoughtful, Mahzer forgot a few times that the boy was only ten. He just acts so much older than a kid should. She supposes a life style that he used to have called for it. He had to be sharper, he had to be harsher to get by. Thankfully, his life doesn't need to like that anymore. Maybe he could even help calm Edea down a little, take some of her own energy and soak it in for himself, live a little livelier and happier.

His cold grey eyes flickered over to her, narrowing from her constant stare. Mahzer offered him a small smile, trying to ease the tension between them. He didn't respond, eyeing her coldly from where he sat, gripping his bread and pulling it closer to his body like she was going to snatch from his hand. "Food's good?" she asked him.

He didn't say, simply staring at her on and on. So intense and narrowed was it, Mahzer felt a slight discomfort bubble up in her. She's seen eyes like those. Eyes of a fighter. She's seen them on her husband and many other soldiers that he's worked. Eyes of a predator locking and judging a prey. To have those eyes turned to her...

Edea broke the tension, snapping both of them out of it as she piped. "Cuk's food is always good mom," she boast in their chief's honor. She turned to the boy, grinning. "It was good, right?"

He blinked at her, all hostility gone. He turned away, staring back out the window with a hum.

"He liked it," she declared, taking another eager bite of her ice cream.

"If you're sure honey."

"It was an almost perfect dinner," she went on, her eyes flickering over to the empty seat where Braev was supposed to sit. The boy glanced at it as well before looking back out the window.

"He had a meeting," Mahzer eased, "he did promise to make it before you finished."

"I have two bites left," Edea grumbled, leaning her bowl out to show her mother. "How was he going to beat this?"

"You could savor it."

They all turned to see a knight step into, his hair white, face pinched with a broad smirk on his face as he peered down at the girl, sauntering over to their table. Edea rolled her eyes as she scoffed, "But Heinkel, you can't savor ice cream. It melts, duh." The knight snorted back, his teal grey eyes flickering over to the boy beside her, raising a silver brow down at him while the boy peered back, curious and tense.

"Whose the new brat?"

"His name's Alternis and he's not a brat."

"I hope so, one brat's enough."

"Hey!"

"What brings you down to our little abode Heinkel?" Mahzer asks kindly.

"Here to see the commander home safely," the knight bid, bowing to Mahzer slightly. "And to make sure squirt over there didn't burn down the mansion."

"Mrgrgrgr, like I would!" Edea grumbles.

"Ominas Crowe would be the real danger to that chance," Braev declared as he lumbered into the room, dark bags under his eyes, his hair tussled and worn from running his gloved hands through it. Despite his worn appearance, he smiled to his family, nodding as he took a seat and removing the cover over his dinner. "I did make it before you finished," he told Edea with a smile. The little girl huffed, torn between annoyance and happiness that yes, he did make it. She settled for taking another bite of her ice cream, only one bite left.

"Alternis right?" Braev asked, turning to the boy beside her. "I trust you found your room comfortable."

Alternis stared at him, settling with giving him a very, very small nod before going back to nibbling on his bread, focusing more on it than the adults in the room.

"What's up with this brat?" Heinkel questioned.

Mahzer apologetically as Alternis' eyes flickered over to Heinkel. "He's not necessarily use to people yet. Little Edi seems to be the only one that he's opened up too."

"Don't call me Edi mom," Edea said, taking the last bite as she glared up at all three of them. "And don't talk like we're not here. That's why he doesn't like you." Tossing her spoon in her bowl, she grabbed Alternis and dragged him out, catching the older boy by surprise, nearly dropping his bread in the process. The three adults stared after them, faces surprised with brows raised. Their strong little girl pushed him out the door, turning around to face them and slamming the door.

"That kid," Heinkel muttered.

"So what was this meeting about," Mahzer wondered aloud, changing the subject and distracting them all from the kids that stormed off. "I heard it was something a little more than about the crystals. Is something the matter?"

Braev sighed tiredly. "Its something more along the lines of our own neighborhood... don't worry too much about it dear. We have it under control."

It was Mahzer's time to sigh at that, but she let it go, relaxing into her seat as he husband started on his meal, Henkiel taking the seat across form him as a servant hurried a fresh plate over to him.

* * *

"Mrgrgrgr! I swear they all drive me just so crazy!" Edea snarled as she stomped and thrashed down the hall, her little tiny fists swinging around her wildly. Alternis observed quietly a few feet behind her, keeping a safe distance from her and her little fists. "Do you know once father promised to bring me home a d'gon? Guess what, _he never brought it!_ And when I asked him, he said they were _too dangerous!_"

Edea rounded on him, red faced and furious. "Can you believe that?!"

Alternis blinked at her, not sure what to say or what a d'gon was. It did sound dangerous and not something a little girl should have...

"Mrgrgr! Sometimes I just want to pull my hair out with them!" Edea went on, hardly caring for the lack response from the older boy shadowing her. "Is it really too much to ask to spend some time with me? I get that he's busy but still! Just an hour would be fine!"

"You miss your father then," Alternis mused, talking for the first time today.

Edea started a little before nodding, turning to face him with a huff. Then a slight, excited smile grew on her face as her blue eyes gleamed. "But I'm not going to have to worry for a while. When I'm older I'm going to become the next great Lee."

Seeing the confused expression on Alternis' face, she happily explained. "As his daughter and only heir, I'm going to become his apprentice and carry on the Lee glory!" Alternis hummed at that, taking another bite of his sourdough bread. "Hey Edea?"

"Yes?"

"Can you... show me how to get to the kitchen?"

"Why?"

"Just... still a little hungry."

"Then you should finish your bread first."

"I might want to eat more later..."

"Fine," the girl sighed, "only because I sometimes sneak ice cream too." She put her finger to her lips, staring right at Alternis. "This has to be our little secret though."

"Deal."

* * *

The hall was dark and cold when Alternis slipped down the hall, mindful not to make a sound. Following Edea's original guidance, he worked his way down through the mansion, going down halls, hurrying down stairwells. Stopping at the familiar dark door that Edea introduced as the entrance to the kitchen. Turning the knob and pushing the door open, Alternis peeked in, happy to see that it was empty. Slipping, he grabbed a rag and started to look around the cabinets and all sorts of storage he could find and think of on where they could stash food.

Grabbing bread, fruit, vegetables, cheese, and any other foods he was sure could last a good couple of days. He was going tonight, get out while everyone was asleep. He had no place here in this household. Not among the rich. The girl was amusing in a strange way, and both her parents were nice, but both had a look in their that he didn't like.

And that man's gaze today, Heinkel... it was a wake up call that added to it. When that knight turned his eyes to Alternis at the dinner table it was quite clear by the look on his face that he didn't belong at that table, sitting next to the girl, eating their food. He didn't belong. Not at that table. Not next to the little girl. Not with their food.

Certainly not with this family.

It was decided then that he'd slip out of this spoiling world. The family was going to eventually get convinced to get rid of him, might as well save the drama for both of them. Satisfied with the food, he wrapped up his goods as best as he could. Tugging at the warm clothes he got from Edea's mother, he hid the food inside the coat, making sure it wouldn't fall out and was well hidden. Before he completely left the kitchen, his eyes paused over a knife dour. Taking a small five inch cutting knife from it, he he wrapped the sharp edge in another cloth and stuffed it in the coat pocket. Secure for food and protection, he made his way to the servant's entrance that Edea pointed out.

Pushing the door open, he slipped outside, oblivious to the curious blue eyes staring after him.

* * *

"That idiot," Edea muttered, wiggling into her coat and snatching up a blanket from her bed. She went down to get some ice cream like she revealed to Alternis earlier, only to find him already down there ahead of her!

He wasn't getting ice cream though, he was grabbing all the stuff except the ice cream!

And then he left outside the servants' door and into the cold, with only the coat mother gave him. Coats aren't always enough on Eternian nights! That's why mother always says sleep with a blanket or two. So if going outside, one must always bring a blanket!

It was curious as to why Alternis would go outside. Did he have a nightmare? Was his bed uncomfortable? The six year old couldn't figure it out, so she settled to ask him once she caught up. Beaming once she had everything and wrapping the blanket into a big, clumsy ball, she ran out in hot pursuit of Alternis intent of dropping the blanket on his head and to get answers as to why he went outside.

Pushing the servants' door open, using her whole weight, Edea managed the door open enough to slip through, wincing as the cold bats at her face. Squinting her eyes close for just a mere moment, Edea soaks in the cold before walk out into the thick, heavy snow, peeking her eyes open enough to see the obvious trail Alternis left.

Retracing his steps and making travel through the snow easier, Edea waddled after the boy, her blue searching for him in the haze of white that covered Eternia. The whole time she gripped the blanket tightly, keeping the cloth close to help stay warm and feeling comforted with its soft presence. It wasn't often that she was out of the house alone, especially at night.

If mother found out...

Edea grimaces, speeding up so she could find Alternis before morning. Both will surely never hear the end of it if they didn't get back in time. Searching through the white of her neighborhood, she smiled when she saw him lumbering ahead of her, the snow easily crumbling around his knees while it sloshed and bumped against her waist.

"Alternis!" she shouted as loud as she could, running as she tried to catch up to the boy, intent to shove a blanket in his arms and getting where he was going. He paused at her shouts, turning and stiffening when he saw her waddling to him. "Go home!" he shouted back, hurrying away. Edea blinked in surprise for a moment, staring after him stumbling away from her before scowling and persisting after him.

By the Crystal's Light, she didn't bundle up to get brushed off. She was going to catch up if it was the last thing she did.

"Alt-" Edea froze, listening to a shaky crunch of snow coming from behind her. Turning around, gripping the blanket hard as her instincts rang warning bells in her head, she came face to face to a looming, scrawny man, his black eyes wild and wide as he stared down at her, his clothes worn and loose, his old, ragged coat fluttering in the wind. "You're a rich girl," he managed out, staring down at her.

She takes small steps back, easing away from him. He stared after her, watching as she slowly eased back before taking long steps to follow her, his coat rattling like flapping d'gon wings in the cold night gale. "What'cha doing out here, alone and in the cold rich girl?" he asked her, his hands twitching. Edea still didn't answer, her tongue heavier than lead, her throat closing up as discomfort welled up inside her. Beside the man's voice, the pound of her heart filled her ears, loud and clear.

"Whose you're family?" the man went on, relentlessly trying to get closer. "Come on rich girl, let a kind man help you home."

"No thank you," she finally said.

"Don't be like that rich girl, I'll see you home... and with my pockets full..."

When he took another step to her, now a foot away, Edea threw the blanket as hard as she could at him, making him catch it as she turned and sped through Alternis' trail, stumbling and slipping on ice as she ran. The man behind her cursed, blanket tossed away with clumsy steps chasing after her. He wasn't slipping or stumbling as much as she was though. He was more used to running in snow.

"Alternis!" she screamed, his figure almost a dot in the distance. A dot she wasn't sure she could reach.

"Come here girl," the man growled, catching up and reaching for her. As his hand dove for her coat collar, Edea dove right, front first right into the snow, dodging him and disappearing under the white. The man cursed as he fell and slid forward, rising up enough to glare around, seeing where she jumped into the deeper snow, but not where she was now. "Come on out rich girl. I'll take you home," he called, rising up on unsteady feet, looking around the snow for any movement. Where could she be...

Loud crunches of snow tickled his ear and he turned just in time to get smacked in the face with an apple. Stuttering, his hands flew to his face, rubbing it away with a wince. Snarling, he glared down at the kid that came rushing at him, stiffening when he saw the knife he held, poised to run him through. "Shit!" he swore, jumping back as the silver haired kid swung at him, the knife hissing from where it cut at the air, his grey arms sharp and angry as he glared at the hobo.

"Where'd a kid like you get a knife?" he demands as he slowly eases away.

Alternis didn't say, keeping the knife pointed at him, his body slightly crouched, looking ready to jump right at the man if he made one wrong move. Licking his lips, he eyed the deep snow next to them, debating before he slowly slinks back. "Chill kid... just chill, I'm going, I'm going."

Alternis made sure of it, never tearing his eyes away from the man as he walked back before finally turning and running off, back into the shadows from where he came from. Even when he was out of sight, Alternis didn't move, waiting and watching, just to be sure before he relaxes, wrapping up the blade again in clothes and putting it in his pocket to secure that the edge wouldn't cut anyone. Glancing behind him, he sighed sadly to see a bunch of food scattered behind him, it all fell to the ground when he hurried to get the apple out to throw at the man.

Hopefully they'd still be good... or covered up by morning. Alternis doubted Edea was going to let him leave now.

Speaking of Edea...

Looking out to the deep snow he had seen her dive into, Alternis leant over and stared in, his grey eyes tracing over it as he tried to locate where the girl could be. He would have thought the snow above her would have crumbled with her movement below. But it stayed fluffy and clean on top, hiding her well. How he could scarcely imagine.

"Edea?" he asked, forcing his way through to the only dented part of the fluffy white hill. Letting himself fall and sink the snow in, ignoring the bite of cold around, he saw that yes, she had somehow dug herself a little tunnel under the snow. A tunnel that looked much too small for him...

Shrugging it off, he made his way in, wincing as it brushed against his scalp and pressed at his coat, slowly dampening his back. Like he predicted, the snow above him crumbled and broke as he forced his way in. "Edea?" he called again. How far could she dig in-

A blur rushed at him, biting right into his wrist as he raised it just in time, catching small teeth on his bare wrist and surprised and apologetic blue eyes staring up at him.

* * *

"I can't believe you bit me."

"I said I was sorry."

"You bit me, out of all things that you could do against that guy, you decided to _bite?!_"

"Well... you were running away!"

"No I wasn't."

"Were too! You packed up and left!"

"You run away from home, this isn't my home."

"Oh whatever! Mrgrgr," Edea growled as she kicked the door closed, shivering. "Lets just go to bed. I'm cold now, too cold."

"I told you to go home," he sniffed, wiping his nose on the coat sleeve. "Ew," she mutters. Still, even with the slight disgust, she reached for his clean wrist and easily started to drag him out of the kitchen, much to his annoyance as her strength once again caught him off guard. Probably got that from her ridiculously tall father...

Opening the door to her room, Edea tossed him in, unzipped her coat and flopped into bed, nestling under the covers with a relieved and delighted shiver. When she peeked her eyes open to see Alternis standing awkwardly in her room, she patted her bed insistingly. "This is the warmest blanket in the whole house," she told him.

Warmest blanket did sound appealing... but he wasn't so sure if calling this place a house was the correct term. Sighing, Alternis also unzipped his coat, laying it on a chair like Edea did and slowly crawled into her bed. It was even bigger than his own in the guest room! What a little girl that was half his height would need a bed this big was beyond him. He took comfort that it probably meant chances would be slim that they would come in contact while sleeping, only for that to be thrown out the window when Edea's arm carelessly flopped onto his forehead.

"Ow," he grumbled.

"Serves you right for leaving."

"Its not my home. I don't expect a rich kid-"

"Don't call me that... please."

"...I don't expect you to understand."

"Stay till I do?" she offered him on a wary note, rubbing her eyes tiredly.

"Maybe," he relents, too tired and too cold to continue the argument or idea tonight. He rolls onto his side and tugging the covers to his shoulder, his eyes easily falling close with the comfort of the soft, warm bed beneath him.

* * *

**i suspect that d'gons were one of the creatures that eternia trained to help with the military, alongside hellhounds, and maybe silver wolves **


	3. Chapter 3

Mahzer raised an eye brow, staring into her daughter's room, meeting the big innocent eyes staring up at her, bright and vivid against a flush red face. Next to her a slightly bigger body was huddled under the sheets, trembling slightly, with a bold tuff of silver sticking up out of the sheets. "Edea?" Mahzer asked softly, "what's going on here?"

"Nothing," her little girl whisper, a little croak in her soft voice.

Skeptical and knowing, Mahzer slipped closer to the bed, and despite Edea's best efforts to get away from her, her hand followed and pressed against her forehead.

"You're sick," Mahzer declares, frowning down at her girl before glancing over at the bundle next to her.

"No I'm not," the little girl persisted.

Mahzer simply hummed her agreement, moving the sheets aside to see a still sleeping Alternis, flinching slightly at the baring cold. Much like Edea, his face was also flushed, his face pinched up as he gripped at the pillow hard. "How'd you two get so sick?" Mahzer wondered to herself as she slid the cover back over him, leaning back as Edea scowled at her. "We're not sick mom," she insists, keeping her voice low so Alternis wouldn't wake.

"Oh," Mahzer sighed, turning amused blue eyes to Edea, "that's too bad since sick children don't have to go to school tomorrow. But if you're not, then I guess we can still send you-"

"I'm sick! Horribly, horribly sick!"

Mahzer chuckles, grinning down at her daughter as her blue eyes gleams playfully. "But you were so sure you weren't," she notes.

_"Moooommmm,"_ Edea moans, flopping back in her bed and waking Alternis, the older boy sitting up groggily. His grey eyes stared at them both before he grumbles and settles back in bed, pulling the sheets over his head.

"Alright, alright," she relented, laughing as she waved her daughter's pout away. "You're sick, thus you can't go to school tomorrow. I guess you and Alternis can spend today and tomorrow in bed hm?"

Edea smiles at that, eagerly snuggling back into bed, pulling the sheets up to her chin.

"Miss Lee?" the soft voice of a maid asked, peeking into the room, curious when she saw all of them still in. "Is something going on?"

"Oh nothing much," Mahzer said, "Edea and Alternis are just a little sick-"

"Sick?! Miss Lee you must get out of the room quickly!" Before Mahzer could react and decline, she was grabbed and pushed out of the room. "Just to be sure we'll send you to the Medical Tower."

"Its just a cold-"

"I don't care! Master Lee will be so worried! Don't worry, I'll take care of Little Lee. You just worry about yourself for now!" Mahzer was shoved out of the room, the maid turning to the annoyed Edea and waving a finger at her. "You're mother's healths hangs by a very thin string Miss Lee. Please remember that she isn't as strong as you or your father."

"Yes ma'am," Edea said.

"I'll be back with some soup and I'll drop by the school to get your work that you'll need." Edea groaned at that, turning away from the maid and huffing at Alternis' form, hidden under the cover. "Don't you give me that Miss Lee, an education is important, especially when you are the Grand Marshal's daughter! You have heavy boots to fill."

Edea rolled her eyes and pulled the cover over her head.

"You'll thank me for this one day Miss Lee," the maid declared, leaving the room.

Edea glared out after her from over her shoulder. Was it really so bad to have mother take care of her for once when she was sick? She drooped in her bed, burying her face in her pillow, torn with the feelings of anger and slight guilt. With her mother sickly, then yes, she was in the wrong for wanting her to take care of her.

But everything was so limited now.

Father gone with work.

Mother at the Tower because of her health.

Even the maids that worked and lived in with them were too busy talking with one another, cleaning, or lecturing her on how to be a proper lady and what was expected of the Grand Marshal's daughter.

Don't get her started on all the other nobles and their kids.

Whispers of wild child could also fill the neighborhood air.

"Is the soup any good?" a groggy voice asked, snapping Edea out of her drooping thoughts.

"Huh?"

"Is the soup any good?" Altneris repeated, sitting up and wrapping the sheet around him tightly, staring down at Edea with half slanted eyes, his cheeks flushed pink and his nose rosy. Grinning, Edea sat up as well, mimicking him as she pulled her share of the sheets close around her, both their cheeks rosy and their nose red.

She shrugged her answer, saying, "Its ok, very bitter though."

"Sounds good to me," he murmured, shivering slightly and pulling the sheet closer.

"You're not very used to the cold are you?" Edea mused.

Alternis shook his head no.

"Where are you from?"

"Is it that obvious?" he wondered.

"When you shiver a lot, yes."

Alternis hummed. "I'm from Florem."

Edea gasped, "Isn't that place full of pretty dresses?!"

"I don't know."

"When I'm able too, Florem is one of the first places I want to visit!"

"Its not that great a place," he commented.

"I bet its more colorful than Eternia... How'd you get here then?"

"I snuck on board an airship, didn't mean to come here, and sort of got stuck here."

"Well now your here home," Edea said, beaming.

A shy blush was well hidden under his flushed cheeks. He turned away with a grumble, "Doesn't mean I will stay..."

"But I would like you too."

"Doesn't mean I will. I'm not apart of this family."

Edea rolled her eyes. "I don't think father cared about that when he brought you back."

"Well I do!"

"Well I don't!"

"What if I don't want to stay?"

"I'd give you all the cookies to make sure you will!"

"I don't like your cookies!"

Edea gasped. "You don't like me cookies?!"

"Ye...no," Alternis said quickly as her eyes started to water, her bottom lip trembling angrily. "I, I don't mind your cookies!"

"Alternis you're a meanie!"

"Edea! Don't be a brat!"

"I'm not a brat!"

"Is there trouble in paradise?"

Both turned to see Braev peek in, curious and concern with all the racket and seeing their red noses and flushed cheeks. Edea jumped into action, pointing an accusing finger at Alternis. "He doesn't like my cookies!"

"You shoved one down my throat!" he argued back, "How am I supposed to like that?!"

"Alright that's enough," Braev cut off, stepping into the room and sitting on the bed, making it bounce as he peered down at the two kids. "What's this I hear about you two being sick?"

"Alternis got us sick," Edea accused childishly.

"I told you not to follow!"

"Did you two leave the house?" Braev asked, narrowing his eyes as the two tensed at the question. "No," Edea said in a small voice. Alternis shook his head, not trusting his voice. His nose twitched though, itching inside from his shake. He sneezed, a soft, kitten like sneeze that caught both Lees off guard. Edea giggled while Braev raised a brow, a small smile twitching up the corner of his lips as Alternis flushed a bright red. "Shut up," he growled, pulling the sheet over his head like he was going to hide his face from them.

"That's the cutest sneeze I've ever heard!" Edea laughed.

"It is not!"

"Alright," Braev cut off with a chuckle. "Listen up you two, I'm going to check Mahzer so it'll just be you two and Miss Merri; Edea, I want you on your best behavior."

"Yes sir," Alternis bid.

"Fine," Edea sighed.

"I mean it Edea, I will take away your desserts for a week."

"Bestest behavior you could ever hope for," his little angel declared.

"I hope so, I will ask Miss Merri when I return and if I don't like what I hear..."

"Crystal clear," the six year old promised.

* * *

"Do you not like this Miss Merri?" Alternis wondered as he and Edea were left alone in her room, enjoying the big bed together. "She's eh," Edea brushed off.

"Eh?" he pressed.

"She's nice, but... oh I don't know. She's one of those adults. She thinks I don't understand my parents and how busy and fragile they are; so I can't be childish and pester them."

"So you don't see your parents often," Alternis guessed. Edea nodded. "Yeah... only when the make time but even then... well, at least I have you now." She smiled at him. "You're going to stick around for a while at least? That's good enough. Better some company then none huh?"

"I guess so," he agreed, leaning back in her bed for a moment before he sat back up, turning to her. "So what do we do now? I've never been taken care of before when I was sick. I was just on my own."

"Hm... all that they want you to do is sleep and eat. But that's boring so I snag a few books usually, some times some toys and play famous battles out!"

"Hm," Alternis hummed, neither sounding interesting to him.

Edea pouted, "Sadly, one of silver wolves father was training got into the house and chewed up _all _my toys. Even my favoriate! Odin the unicorn!" She sniffed, "He was the manliest and scariest unicorn of all too!"

"Uh huh," Alternis hummed on, not really believing her.

"So all that leaves for us to do is read. I got them all," Edea boasts, waving to the shelf behind them, standing over her bed. Alternis followed her hand, staring up at the books with little interest. "And there's nothing else besides that?" he asked, his nose twitching again for another on coming sneeze that he was desperately trying to resist.

"What's wrong with books?" Edea asked.

"I can't read," Alternis admits, sneezing his cute kitten sneeze, bringing and automatic smile to Edea's face. "You can't read?"

"I was a street rat in Florem, nobody wants to teach us stuff much less take us in. The richest women there made it clear, especially to us boys. They encouraged us to leave Florem saying it wasn't our home."

"Which lead up to you winding up in Eternia," the girl muse.

"Yep. So I can't read so that's out of the question."

"Well no it isn't," she argued. He arcs a brow at her, a silent _really _handing in the air.

She beams, big and bright, her rosy cheeks bringing out her natural charm. "I could read to you."

Alternis starts for a minute, staring at her, then glancing up at the books, then back at her, unsure. What was so great about reading that she'd suggest something like that? "Come on!" she insisted, "I have them all, adventure, comedy, romance~"

"Not a romance," Alternis grumbled. He may not know a lot about books or what sort there were out there, but he reconized what she listed. Florem sometimes held plays that he'd sneak around to watch. One of those were a romance play and the heroes of it were just pressing their faces against each other, hugging, and screaming around at them and everyone else the whole entire time.

From what he saw, romance was boring.

Edea didn't agree. Smacking him on top of his covered head, she scowls. "What's wrong with romance? I'll have you know that the Witch and the Lion are one of my favorites!"

"The Witch and the Lion?" Alternis repeated.

Edea sighed dreamily, "Its a story about a soldier and a sorceress and how he is supposed to kill all sorceresses but they fall in love and he becomes her knight."

"What about the lion?" Alternis asked.

"Oh, the soldier is the lion, his last name is Leonhart, and he sort of makes a promise to himself, telling himself that 'He is a lion' and he also has a lion ring and a lion engraved on his sword."

Alternis frowns as that, raising an eye brow.

Edea rolls her eyes and huffs. "Fine, not that one or any romance... hm, there is The Purge... Advent Child, well no, that has a little romance, ooooh, there's also The Four Heroes, The Uprising might also be good. Oh! And one of my personal favorites, The Plague Tree. We'll read this one!" Edea decided, plopping down on the bed and wiggling her seat right next to Alternis.

Frowning Alternis went with it, curiously staring down at the book cover. Despite the name, it wasn't an evil looking tree that stared back at him but a purple dragon like creature wrapping around the title, almost written out in purple letters. Opening the book, Edea started to read leaned back, closing his eyes as he listened, unsure if he even would enjoy the story.

'_It was the early morning when the king stepped out, walking down the heavy stone steps to the dragon like creature waiting below, opening his wings and stretching as he readied to carry his master as far as he needed too. Reaching out and running his hand along the dragon's snout in greeting, the king turns to the strawberry blonde running after him, her green eyes worried and wide.  
_

_"Do you really have to go?" she asks, her voice soft and pleading. _

_He smiled down a sure smile, reaching out and ruffling her hair. "You know I have too," he declared, "and I need you to stay and protect the castle for me. Under no circumstances must you follow."_

_"But father-"_

_"There is something wrong with the wind. I must go to the Shrine to see that nothing has happened to the Crystal."_

_"I know," Lenna drooped, "I've noticed as well but you can't go alone-"_

_"I'll be fine," he assured her, pulling her into a tight hug. "Have faith child." Leaning back, he pressed a kiss to her brow before letting go and walking towards the patient dragon, climbing onto his back. Spreading his wings as far and wide as he could, the dragon took off, Lenna stood back as she watched it take to the sky, her hand rising to wave as the king reached out and waved back down to her before the dragon flew off, taking the king away and leaving the princess alone with the castle and kingdom...'_

Edea read on through The Plague Tree, reading of a worried pirate captain noticing the wind stopped, an old man alarmed in his cave, and the princess left alone in the castle, alarmed how the wind just suddenly stopped. The first few pages in, Alternis wasn't interested in it, till the king arrived at the shrine, with vines growing along the crystal's base as it flared about wildly and shattered right in front of him, the king's fate unknown. By this time he adjusted his seating, staring over Edea's shoulder at the story in her hand, looking at the letters and trying to decipher the story before him on his own as Edea read on, introducing Bartz and his chocobo, a ride-able bird he calls Boko; Bartz felt the shudder of meteor and saw it landing near, rushing to site, just in time to see two goblins taking hold of the princess from before, Lenna.

So engrossed with the battle taking place, neither noticed the door opening till Miss Marri announced, "Here we are Miss Lee, some soup to help chase the cold awaahhhhh!" The maid screeched in alarm, throwing the tray of food up and nearly sending all of it toppling onto herself, as well as starting the two on the bed.

They stared wide eyed at the maid on the ground before she scrambled up, shouting for Braev about a strange boy in Edea's bed while the said girl groaned aloud. "But I didn't do anything this time!"

* * *

**edea used to read to alternis when they were little, seriously, just how much cuter can these two get?**

**i didn't want to do the cliche disney story books that appear, especially since BD is more afflicted with FF so each book edea lists is from the FF sereies:**

**The Witch and the Lion (FF8)  
The Purge (FF13)  
Advent Child (FF7)  
The Four Heroes (FF1 or 3)  
The Uprising (FF2)  
The Plague Tree (FF5)**


	4. Chapter 4

**short-ish chapter this time, though now summer is around the corner, more updates! **

* * *

Alternis squinted his eyes sharply as he glared down at the lettering, one of Edea's books gripped tightly in his hand as he tried to make out the words she read to him. He recognized and knew some of the letters, back in Florem, signs had a lot of letters to represent what they sold. It was just a matter of putting two and two together.

It became a sort of game almost. Reading through her books, trying to find words that he knew and heard people talk about whenever they left those said stores. So far he had found the word beer a few times, he knew that one very well since that store was a popular place. Some kids that were just a few years older dropped by it, gambling with the owner for a drink.

Alternis himself had tried since that's what a majority of boys did that were just a few years older than him. Perhaps it was a trend he should have joined.

Alternis perked, putting the book closer to his face as he stared hard at one, black printed word. "Dog?" he guessed. He knew what a dog was but never saw the spelling for it... Alternis huffed, setting the book down and glaring at it, wishing that it could just tell him right off the bat. He was just going to have to wait till Edea returns. Of course Edea got better before him, and as hard as she tried, Mister Lee saw to it himself to get her to school.

Leaving him by himself in her room with only her books for company.

Books he could hardly read.

He didn't have the patience to wait for Edea to return and secure if what he read was right, and he wasn't tired enough to sleep while he waited.

He wasn't desperate enough to seek out Miss Merri. That maid didn't like him, especially when Edea successfully got Mister Lee to agree to letting him stay in her room with her.

Perhaps he should try and take a nap. There was nothing else to do since he couldn't get farther with the lettering and Edea was gone till the afternoon.

He just pulled the covers up and slipped under when the door opened and Braev peeked in, freezing when he saw Alternis was half way under the sheets. Surprised, the boy almost pulled them over his head to hide, only to quickly still that flighty instinct as he sat and stared at Braev, meeting Mister Lee's stare head on.

Clearing his throat, Braev asked, "Where you about to sleep?"

Alternis simply blinked and stared.

"Edea made me promise to keep you company while you were still sick..." Braev went on, fidgeting a little as his daughter's words rang clear in his head.

_'Don't you dare leave him alone like you leave me!'_

"But if you're about to sleep I'll leave you-"

"Can you tell me what this word is?" Alternis said quickly, holding up the book for the man to see. Surprised and intrigued, Braev approached the boy, crouching as he peered at the book, seeing the word Alternis was pointing too. "Dog?" Braev asked.

Alternis grinned. So he was right!

"Thank you," the boy dismissed, the word hunt refreshed now that he knew he had on down. Just a lot more to go.

"Do you not know how to read?" Braev asks.

"No," Alternis said, not looking up from the book. That looked and awful lot like flower...

"Move over," Braev ordered. Alternis glanced up at him and did as the older man bid when he was caught under a stern stare. Once he had plenty of room, Braev plopped onto Edea bed and pointed to a few of the letters in the book before them. "The greatest key to reading is knowing the alphabet. Its clear that you do know some words, but knowing the letters and being able to put them together will better help reveal the word to you. Like here, this word is promise and starts with a p, that p is also used in other words, words like power and protection..."

* * *

Edea slammed the door to office open with the great strength she inherited from him, a furious and disappointed scowl on her features. "Edea?!" Braev said in alarm, quirking a brow down at his upset girl, wondering if something happened at school. Did she possibly bite someone again? Did Edea's hair get pulled again? "I can't believe you!" the little girl snapped at him, her voice squeaking slightly with her agitation.

"Pardon?"

"You taught Alt had to read?!"

_That _was the problem? Braev was very confused as he frowns down at Edea, fuming back up at him. "Yes," he said. "But I was going to teach him!" Edea exclaims.

Braev smiles down at Edea, only to shake his head. "That's very nice of you dear, but more has to be done than simply reading to him. There's the alphabet, lettering, spelling, and grammer. And the sooner he learns, the better. His age group is far ahead him after all, he's actually at an age where most are training and trying out to be cadets."

Edea stilled, her stance drooping slightly at that. "Are you... going to make him a cadet?"

"I am certainly going to try. After a couple of meals, good rest, and some training, Alternis will show much promise for Eternia. Just like you will too," Braev said proudly. He knows soldiers when he sees them. He could see a promising future for Alternis, it was just a matter of having the right guide and people to help him on the way. "He'll probably start when he's better. Since you'll still be in school, it seems like a good time to start training him."

Edea didn't say, silently staring at her father as he talked on about his good idea. He offered her a broad smile as he suggested, "Perhaps you could even teach him a thing or two about swords? I know I was able to give you a little lesson before your mother found out."

A small smile rose up on Edea's face as she nodded to her father. "Sounds good to me," she said.

* * *

Alternis was waiting for her in her room, snuggled up under the sheets, asleep, with an empty bowl of soup set on the nearby table. Eyeing him for a moment, Edea quietly pulled off her boots, tossed away her coat, and grabbed her pillow from her side of the bed before setting in a corner next to a window, staring out and pretending that the pillow she was hugging was her stuffed Odin instead. It was almost believable with how the corner was pressed against her jaw, just like Odin used to do whenever she hugged him.

Father was going to teach Alternis.

By himself by the sounds of it.

Her grip tightened on the pillow as her eyes started to sting a little, her head hurting, and a familiar ache probed at her heart.

Sometimes there was a sneer from the boys.

A very hurtful sneer that she didn't know if it was true or not.

_"Didn't you know that you were a mistake? That's what my dad told me. Braev Lee had a daughter instead of a son like he was hoping, and now his wife is too weak to have that other son. Because of you."_

It wasn't because of her.

And it didn't matter.

Or so she kept telling herself.

But it was rare to see women in the militia, much less taking charge and leading. And father was sometimes so reluctant to teach her more weaponry, leaving that to the school she went to instead.

There wasn't a moment of hesitation with Alternis.

And that wasn't fair.

"Ea?" a groggy voice asked, making her start as she realized that her eyes started to water, her breathe becoming uneven as a few sniffles escaped her clumsy lips. She hid her face against her pillow, shaking her head to brush off Alternis. "I'm fine," she uttered into the pillow.

"School bad?" he asked, sounding more awake now. Edea lifts her head and shakes it again, not trusting her voice to speak. Instead she ignores him, resting her chin on the soft pillow and watching the snowflakes drift down by her window. All the while, enraged and hurt complaints piled in her head, mute to all ears but her own.

_It's not fair._

_It's not fair._

_Not when she was heir. _

And just as they dark thoughts loomed, Edea breathed in deep and let it out. Most of her anger leaving with that one breathe. Despite that, her eyes still ached, her head hurt, and her whole body quivered.

She was a Lee. She was better than this.

She should be.

A shuffle of movement caught her ears as the bed groaned and blankets hissed as Alternis moved acrossed the room. The next thing she knew, a blanket was thrown over her head as a soft thud dropped next to her. Moving it above her head, she turned her puffy eyes down to see Alternis lying on the floor next to her, his back to her to not see her face, but keeping close enough to show that he was there.

And just like that, she felt a bit better.

It wasn't his fault after all.

Laying the pillow out, she wrapped her part of the blanket around her and laid with her back to Alternis, half a foot away from him. When it started to get cold by that window, she unconsciously inched closer till their backs touched. It was only then did she fall asleep.

* * *

**Edea biting was inspired by Small Promise, by Urby, another Edea and Alternis childhood fic, a very short and sweet one. **


	5. Chapter 5

On one of two day offs that she got in a week, Edea decided today that they were going to visit Mahzer at the Healing Tower.

With Alternis bundled up in as many coats and jackets as he tried with a scarf secured around his neck with Edea's help; the boy was as ready as he could be to trek the cold. Or so he hoped. With the young girl giggling at with how much he wore, she lead him outside into the cold, already talking about the first thing that came to her mind.

"Father's making arrangements to have a healing center built inside the manor; but even then, some of the doctors are saying its going to be a wasted effort. They're saying mother should just stay in the tower all the time. Only problem is that its a long walk there. And I guess a healing room wouldn't be that bad, at least we'd have medical attention when we need it here."

Alternis raised an eye brow, frowning. "I thought the tower was close?"

Edea hummed, frowning slightly as she mused it over. "Well, its easy to get there in about ten minutes, but if you walk, and to get there safely, it could take a good three hours. So no, the tower isn't really that close I guess..."

Opening the door for them, she and Alternis squeezed out into the rich neighborhood that he tried to slip through and escape from when he first arrived. Now looking at it in the daylight, he found what he thought were wealthy homes that were sleeping through the night were dark and empty, like a bunch of hollow stones. Catching his stare to the building, Edea helpfully said, "When father got this place, it was originally a temple, but when he took control of it, all the nobles in Eternia had it in their head to humor him and all moved down here to trying to win his favor.

"But father ignored them, not really caring that much about them and eventually the all went back to the city. They left those buildings they wasted so much money on. Eventually the cold will take them and they'll blend with the rocks around us and monsters will make homes in them."

"You're ok with living close to monsters?"

She smiled. "Everywhere we live there are monsters. Might as well get used to them huh?"

"I guess so," Alternis shivered, trying to pull all his coats and jackets closer to his body to fight off the cold as it blew. Edea glanced back at him, curious. "You sure your up for it?"

"Yeah."

"Its going to be a lot colder."

Alternis paused, glancing up at her warily.

"How do you get to the tower so quickly then if walking takes three hours," he asks slowly.

"By d'gons."

He shot her a look. D'gons again? "What is with you and these d'gons?" he wonders.

She pouts at him. "I'll have you know that d'gons are a very popular pet here in Eternia. They can almost rival wolves, and hellhounds, and frostis, and I sweat I saw a golem once, and-"

"You all have the strangest pets," Alternis declares as he walks by, looking out and about trying to see where these d'gons could be.

"Hey, they are all we have here. Best to make do. And the d'gons are this way." Edea grabs his arm, mindful not to pull it too far from his body as she drags him south, towards one of the empty buildings around them. As they drew closer, Alternis tenses when he hears the clicks and growls coming from the building they were approaching, Edea speeding up with a little skip in her step as they drew near.

Turning the corner and shoving the barn door open, Edea finally revealed what d'gons are.

Alternis was surprised.

Large, bulky reptiles with small arms and a thick neck and plated back turned to them both. Their black eyes were beady and cold against their large, golden forms, their wings looked almost too small for their thick heavy bodies, and their claws looked to long and sharp to be anywhere near children. Despite these obvious terrors, Edea swept to the side and waved an arm to them with the biggest smile he's ever seen.

"These are d'gons."

Staring at them as they grunted and growled back at them, their claws scratching on the stone as they shuffled and stared at the children, Altenris turned around with a solid, "Nope," and walked out of the barn, ignoring Edea's shouts after him. Racing to him easily, she caught his coat and tugged him still, shooting him a look.

"We're visiting my mother today, and we're going to get there in ten minutes; I'm not walking three hours to town. Especially when I'm six! People don't let little six year olds walk by themselves for a three hour hike!"

"But they let them ride dragons?!"

"D'gons," she corrected.

"Whatever! Those things could use us to pick their teeth!"

She scoffed, "They would not. I ride them every day, that's how I get to school and see mother."

"Everyday?" he repeated, abash.

"Yep." She reached out her hand, palm up and open for him to take. Glaring down at her hand, looking up to her, and then past her to the barn where he could still hear the overgrown reptiles; Alternis sighed in defeat. Tentatively, he land his bigger hand in her smaller one and let her lead him back. "Don't worry," she said, "we can take the gentlest one."

"They're capable of being gentle?"

"Of course they are!" To prove her point she released his hand and ran into the barn, straight into the face of one d'gon before Alternis even had a chance to grab and reel her back. And before his horrified eyes she plopped her whole entire body right on the golden brown creature's face with the big and confident smile still on her face.

The d'gon in turn simply blinked at the girl pressed against its face, staring at Alternis with confusion written out in its beady black eyes. "Nothing to worry about," Edea bid, patting the d'gon's face.

* * *

Alternis really didn't like this.

Sitting on top of the giant reptile, he felt unnaturally high and off balanced. Gripping the scales tightly as he sat awkwardly, he waited as Edea jumped onto the reptile's neck, perched right in front of Alternis. Unlike him, she settled naturally and easily onto the creature's back. "Alright first time fliers, all you need to know is to hold on tight till we reach the destination."

He instantly gripped the scales hard, tensing as he felt the d'gon shuffle under him. Edea pointed ahead, shouting, "To the city!" And just like that, the d'gon moved. Its thick body dipped low as its wings rose up and cages around them like leather sheets till the skin was all Alternis could see in the corner of his eyes. Tensing, he gripped the scales hard, half tempted to reached out and grab Edea; but with the girl sitting confidently and scared of falling off, the boy found himself frozen on the lizard's back.

With a sharp jolt, they were in the air, Alternis' chin bumping against the hard, scaled back with the burst. Frozen on the small dragon's back as its wings flapped loudly around him, Alternis looked up to Edea, seeing her perfectly fine from her seat up front. Reaching for him, she helped sit up comfortably on the d'gon's back and letting him grip her hand tightly as they slowly left the Central Command.

"Just a few more trips," Edea assures, "then this will be nothing."

Alternis simply frowns from his tense seat, refusing to budge at all.

"How did this even happen?" Alternis manages out, looking out past the wings as they dipped down to see the white covered land of snow, ice, and rock below.

Edea hums, leaning back slightly as she sorted out her history lessons. "A long time ago, when people first arrived here, they came here to get away from the world or something like that. Something to do with wars that was going on. They came to Eternia to hide from that, and here, dragons were one of the most common monsters to be found here.

"And when people were ready to leave Eternia and branch out to other places, they tamed dragons to act as major sources of transportation. They're also considered to be Eternia's most noblest beast, and that ancient lord families all had at least one dragon that served and represent them."

"Does your-" Alternis cringes when a cold gusts sweeps through them, shivering it off as Edea scoots closer in a helpless attempt to block some of it. "Does your family have a dragon?" he finished.

"No," she sighs, "but I wish."

"Why not?"

"Well, my father and mother didn't come from any ancient noble family; they were middle classed, and my father was a soldier that was appointed a militia leader a long time ago, a few years before I was born... maybe? Or after... it was around the time I was born, I'm sure of that. Anyway, its only through father's success as a leader and the wishes of the Archduke did father become considered a noble man, one of the highest of them all, to a point some think father's the one that rules Eternia."

"Archduke?"

"I don't know who he is, when I asked father, he wouldn't say. But he doesn't like him for some reason... He did offer us a dragon apparently."

"And Lord Braev refused?"

"Sadly, father says nobles hide behind dragons and that they are more a form of weakness than recognized for strength and power. Its for this reason that dragons are very rare to find serving noble familys like they used too. I don't think there are any left but one."

"There's one dragon left?"

Edea points down to the side, a deep, dark frown on her face as she glares down with her deep blue eyes. "L'ch," she said.

Alternis tenses at the sight of L'ch, clicking in his head that if Edea really did let him get far, that he might have found the dragon himself, and if the cold didn't get to him, this thing certainly would have. He wouldn't have stood a chance, no matter how fast he was. L'ch was easily ten times bigger and longer than the d'gon they were on.

And a hundred times scarier. Event he d'gon they were on drifting as far away as it could from L'ch.

His body long and frail, L'ch's skin was colored red, grey, and brown, with ice and snow painted over his hide, slowly dying into a similar crimson color; and was tattered worst than an old rag with so many tears and punctures, it was a wonder how the body still held together. He lumbered with a heavy limp, one arm twisted in a cringing fashion, his wings tattered, and his spine uneven and broken. Black saliva dripped from his maw, and where his eyes should have been were nothing more than empty sockets, blind and dumb to the d'gon and children staring down at L'ch.

"That's the last noble dragon," Edea whispered. "He's now known as Zombie, and he's the reason a hike to the capitol would take three hours, there's a narrow path that he can't slip into, but still... his poison breathe could follow us in there, which is why father got that d'gon barn. So we can just fly over and L'ch will completely miss us."

"How..." he couldn't even bring himself to finish as he stared at the horrendous creature, lost of the pride and dignity that he imagined all dragons should have.

"It was because of the noble family he served, the Zalf family. They liked to work with poisons and stuff and I heard that they all went mad one day and poisoned each other till there was only one person left in that family, and he turned and poisoned that dragon, turning him into Zombie. This boy greatly helped in a war so father couldn't outwardly ban him for doing this to a dragon, and this boy said that it was set up as a defense for Eternia. That's why father's keeping it."

Alternis gulped as he stared down at L'ch as they slowly flew away from it. The undead dragon's head turned to them, empty eyes staring after them knowingly, black saliva dripping out of his mouth and green, blackish smoke drifing out of his ruined nostrils.

Alternis shivered from his seat, turning to face Edea, watching as she stared down at L'ch, Eternian's nightmare.

* * *

**this chapter was inspired by facing of Zombie Dragon, its possible history and facing Derosso's dragons**

**Zalf is a made up last name for Qada, supposed to loosely sound like salve, or so is the idea. **


End file.
